Echoes of Home

Eric heard faint voices before he managed to open his eyes. The world was a blur of brightness and shadow, shapes swimming together until his mind finally began to piece them apart. He realized he was lying in a bed, soft covers tucked over him, though he couldn’t recall how he’d gotten there.

To his right, Welyvyne reached for a glass of water on the bedside table. Nearby, Seltherin sat in a chair beside the bed, his expression tight with worry—like a father waiting for his child to wake. Across the room, Lyren spoke softly with an older man whose voice carried the calm authority of a doctor. Kaelen stood beside them, one arm folded while the other rested in a sling, his posture patient but alert as he leaned against the wall.

“Here,” Welyvyne said, offering him the glass of water. “Take this.”

“Ugh,” Eric groaned. “What happened? I feel like I was hit by a truck.”

“We don’t know yet,” Seltherin said softly. “Your healer friend is speaking with the infirmary’s healer now.”

“Oh,” Eric said, finally taking the glass from Welyvyne. “So that’s where I am.”

Kaelen turned his head and noticed Eric was awake. He nudged Lyren, and the two of them made their way over. An ancient-looking elf in white robes trimmed with blue followed behind them.

“Hello, Eric,” the elf said, his voice carrying a warmth that immediately put Eric at ease. “How do you feel?”

“I’ll be honest with you, Eric,” the wizened old healer said. “I have no idea what’s wrong with you. Physically, you appear to be perfectly healthy.”

Eric frowned. “Well, something is wrong with me. I know I overdid it a bit during dueling class, but I was fine afterward—until, you know… I woke up here.”

The healer nodded thoughtfully as Eric spoke. “Yes… have you noticed anything that might have caused you to collapse? Have you been sleeping well? Eating properly? Staying awake for days, perhaps?” He paused, studying Eric’s face. “It appears you’re suffering from exhaustion.”

Eric shook his head as the healer spoke. “Yeah, but for the past few days, I’ve felt like I haven’t had enough sleep. I’ve been collapsing into bed and passing out before my head even hits the pillow.”

“I’m not fully versed in human biology or anatomy,” the healer admitted. “So I can’t say if this is something specific to your kind.”

Eric scrunched his face and glanced around the room. “It could be… I’m not a vegan, but I haven’t eaten meat in—” He stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening as the thought clicked. He snapped his fingers. “Iron. I’m not getting enough iron from the food here.”

Everyone in the room flinched at the word.

Seltherin was the first to speak. “We can’t tolerate iron,” he said quietly. “It’s harmful to us.”

“Well, I need it,” Eric said, his tone shifting into explanation mode. “Iron’s the key element in hemoglobin—it sits at the center of the molecule and binds to oxygen in my lungs. Without it, my blood can’t transport oxygen efficiently, so my cells start starving even if I’m breathing fine. That’s why I’ve been feeling weak and lightheaded—it’s basically slow suffocation at the cellular level.”

Lyren and the healer froze mid-motion, staring at Eric as if he’d just recited a spell backwards. They exchanged a wide-eyed glance before looking back to him.

Welyvyne’s eyes glazed over somewhere around “molecule,” and Kaelen suddenly discovered that his fingernails were a matter of urgent interest.

Seltherin was the first to recover. “Your science,” he said slowly, the words careful, almost reverent, “from your world… do all your young learn this?”

Eric rubbed the back of his head. “Well… yeah. We start learning some of this around fourteen, maybe fifteen.”

Seltherin tilted his head slightly. “So your people are all trained to be healers, even as children?”

Eric blinked, then chuckled softly. “Not exactly. We just… learn how our bodies work. Helps us keep them running.”

Seltherin gave a short, amused snort. “And this is considered an issue on your world? It sounds… exhausting.”

Eric smirked faintly. “You have no idea.”

Welyvyne suddenly snapped out of her daze. “So—you need iron, and meat is a good source. Would other humans have other ways to get it?”

Eric smiled faintly. “Well, yes. If humans here are anything like me, we get iron from certain plants and meats. We also cook in iron pots and use iron utensils—it leeches small amounts into the food.”

Welyvyne nodded once, her expression sharpening with purpose. “I’ll be back later.”

Without another word, she turned and strode for the door.

Kaelen and Lyren exchanged a look.

“She looks like she might need help,” Kaelen murmured.

Lyren sighed, already pushing away from the wall. “I’d better go before those two find trouble to get into.”

The two of them hurried after her at a jog.

Eric just blinked, still processing everything.

The healer’s voice came softly. “I’m not sure there’s much more I can do for you, Eric. My name is Mykiyl—if you ever need to return, you can ask for me personally. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, young man.”

Eric smiled. “Thank you for looking after me, Mykiyl. So… what should I do now?”

Healer Mykiyl returned the smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Go home and rest,” he said warmly. “I get the feeling they’re going to make sure you get what you need—one way or another.”

Seltherin gave the healer a respectful nod, then rose from his chair and crossed to a small cabinet. He pulled out Eric’s neatly folded clothes and set them on the bed.

“Here,” he said. “Get dressed. I’ll keep an eye on you while your friends are gone.”

With that, he stepped outside, giving Eric a moment of privacy.

Once Eric finished dressing, he stepped out of the room—still a little unsteady on his feet. “I appreciate you coming, Seltherin,” he said. “I was a little surprised to see you there, though.”

Seltherin gave a short snort. “I told you—you’re my responsibility.”

Eric chuckled. “You know the Arcane Anomaly Authority basically released you from that responsibility, right?”

Seltherin smiled faintly. “They may have,” he said, “but I haven’t. You’ve grown on me like a fungus I don’t quite want to scrape off.”

Eric snorted hard. “Wait—was that a joke? Did you just joke?”

Seltherin shook his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “What, do you think I’m some kind of prude?”

They made their way through the city at an easy pace. The infirmary wasn’t far from the Arcanum, and before long they crossed its quiet grounds, the afternoon light glinting off pale stone and glass. From there, it was only a short walk to Seltherin’s residence.

Seltherin gestured toward a soft couch near the window. “Have a seat and relax,” he said. “I’ll make us some tea.”

Eric watched Seltherin disappear into the kitchen. The warmth he was showing felt… out of character. Then again, everyone had layers, didn’t they? Why had he assumed Seltherin was all business, all the time? That’s just silly, Eric thought with a small shake of his head.

He stood, restless, glancing around the tidy room in search of something to occupy himself. After a moment he sighed, rubbed the back of his neck, and cast another look toward the kitchen before deciding to head to the bathroom to wash his face.

He sat for a long moment, staring at his reflection in the mirror. The face looking back at him seemed a little less worn, a little more alive.

Huh, he thought, rubbing the top of his head. When did I start growing my hair back?

A short laugh escaped him as his fingers brushed through the fine half-inch of new growth. He glanced down at his arms — and sure enough, there was hair there too.

He leaned closer to the mirror. His face looked… different. Paler than before, with a faint blue tint beneath the skin. It wasn’t sickly, exactly — more like the color had shifted, maybe from the different metals he’d been absorbing instead of iron. His features seemed sharper now, the edges of his face more defined, while the lines around his eyes had softened, giving him a subtly younger look.

I look like I’ve been rebuilt, he thought, tracing his jaw with his fingertips. Just… tuned differently.

“Eric,” Seltherin called from the living room, “your tea is ready. I’ll set it on the table.”

Eric smiled faintly to himself. “Be right there — just washing up.”

He splashed cool water on his face, dried it with a towel, and made his way back to the living room. Seltherin was waiting, a faint crease of concern on his brow.

“Are you all right, Eric?” he asked. “You’re unusually quiet. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before.”

“Yeah,” Eric said with a weak smile. “I haven’t really sat still since I got here. Just noticed my hair’s growing back.”

Seltherin nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, at first I assumed it was simply one of your traits. But after a while, I realized you were keeping busy to avoid thinking about being stuck here.”

Eric raised an eyebrow. “That’s rather insightful, Seltherin. What gave it away?”

Seltherin’s expression softened into a warm smile. “It’s obvious when someone carries a heavy weight. The deflecting humor, the constant motion, the insistence on looking fine—no one is always happy and always busy, Eric. It’s not hard to see once you’ve lived long enough.”

Eric nodded and fell into silence, slowly sipping his tea.

Seltherin joined him, the two of them sitting together in companionable quiet. The warmth of the tea filled the pauses between them, saying everything words didn’t need to.

A few hours later, Eric had stretched out on the couch and drifted into sleep. Seltherin quietly replaced his empty tea cup with a glass of water, then left him to rest.

The peace didn’t last. Eric woke to the sharp sound of someone pounding on the door.

Seltherin’s voice came from the other room. “I’m coming—hold on!”

Kaelen’s sling was torn — three long gashes slashed clean through the fabric. Eric’s eyes widened; they looked like claw marks.

He grabbed the bag from his lap and pushed himself to his feet, but the room spun. With a groan, he sank back onto the couch.

“Argh—are you guys okay? What happened?”

Kaelen gave a weary grin. “It’s a good thing we went with her. We got jumped by a pair of wereboars. Welyvyne was set on getting what you needed from the human settlement about an hour’s ride from here. We, of course, ran the whole way trying to keep up with her.”

He collapsed onto the couch beside Eric, and Lyren followed suit on the other side. Both of them caught sight of the torn sack still sitting in Eric’s lap… and subtly slid a little farther away from it.

Eric lifted the torn sack carefully. “And this?”

Lyren managed a tired smile. “The bounty. That bag’s got iron utensils, a few vegetables the humans said they eat, and some dried meats. They also said you should come to their settlement for more each week.”

She paused, amusement flickering in her eyes. “They seemed… very interested in meeting you.”

Eric raised an eyebrow.

Kaelen nodded toward the bathroom, where the sound of running water still echoed. “Welyvyne picked up the knife after the wereboar’s claws tore the bag open. Her hands are swollen from the contact.”

Eric’s expression darkened. He turned toward the bathroom door, frowning. “I wouldn’t have asked her—or any of you—to risk your lives for me.”

Kaelen gave a quiet snort and shook his head. “No, probably not. And Welyvyne said the same thing… which is exactly why she went on her own.”

Eric smiled faintly, glancing between Kaelen and Lyren. “I’m glad you two went with her,” he said softly. “I don’t think I could’ve handled losing my friends.”

Kaelen snorted, a tired laugh escaping him. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure she would’ve been fine.”

Lyren laughed, shaking her head. “Oh, she was fine. Her flames were cooking the wereboars while she yelled at them to get out of her way.”

Eric glanced toward the bathroom, his expression softening. “She did all that… for me? Why?”

Lyren chuckled, her tone gentle. “If you haven’t noticed, Eric, we actually call you a friend. And Welyvyne—well, she’s a very good friend.”

Welyvyne finally stepped out of the bathroom, her hands still a little red but clean.

Eric had just started sorting through the torn sack when he found the bundle of dried meat. He looked up as she approached, and Welyvyne gave him a small, tired smile.

“Well,” she said softly, “I hope that helps. I didn’t really know… I just hoped it would.”

Eric tore into the dried meat, chewing slowly as the familiar taste hit his tongue. “Yes—this will work perfectly,” he said, more to reassure the others than himself.

They all watched, still carrying the weight of the day’s chaos. Welyvyne’s shoulders finally eased, though worry lingered in her eyes.

Eric leaned back on the couch, letting out a slow breath. “I guess we should head home,” he said.

Welyvyne smiled, the fatigue in her eyes softened by relief. “Yeah,” she agreed. “We should head back — it’s late, and you still need rest.”

Kaelen and Lyren exchanged a look, some silent agreement passing between them.

“We’re coming too,” Lyren said, crossing her arms with mock seriousness. “Wouldn’t want to leave you alone with a sick, wild human.”

Eric snorted. “Hey— I resemble that remark.”

They made their way slowly through the dim streets to the dorm Welyvyne and Eric shared. The halls were quiet when they stepped inside, the soft glow of mana lights casting gentle pools of color along the walls.

Welyvyne guided Eric to his bed, helping him pull off his robes and boots before drawing the blanket up over him. He managed a faint smile, already half-asleep.

Kaelen and Lyren settled onto the couch in the small living space, their voices low as they chatted about nothing in particular. The quiet murmur of conversation and the steady pulse of the mana lights faded together as Eric drifted off, the warmth of friendship wrapping around him like a second blanket.

Eric woke with a start, the remnants of a dream slipping away like mist. He could almost remember it—something about his daughter. He tried to hold on to the memory, but it faded the harder he reached for it.

He could hear Welyvyne, Kaelen, and Lyren talking in the living space beyond the door. He wasn’t sure if they’d left and come back or stayed the night—it sounded like they were playing some kind of game, their laughter soft and easy.

Eric lay still, letting the sound wash over him as memories of his wife and kids drifted through his mind. He could almost see them—his daughter and son sitting side by side at her little play kitchen, pretending to cook, laughing together while his wife smiled at them from across the room.

A sigh escaped him as he sat up slowly. Sunlight filtered through the window, the glow telling him it was already well into the day.

A single tear slipped down his cheek. He wiped at it quickly just as Welyvyne peeked in.

She froze for a heartbeat, eyes catching the motion.

“Um… Eric,” she said softly. “Are you okay?”

Eric sighed. “I’m just… thinking about my family. About what I lost when I was ripped away from them.”

Welyvyne’s eyes softened. “I couldn’t imagine what that’s like.”

Something in Eric’s expression hardened. “No, you couldn’t,” he snapped before he could stop himself. “I had a life where I came from.”

He caught himself, exhaled slowly, and rubbed his forehead. “You didn’t deserve that. It’s not your fault.” His voice dropped to a quiet tremor. “I’m not what—or who—you think I am. You see me as a kid, and here I am. But back home…” He paused, swallowing the weight of it. “Back home, I’m a father. I have a wife. A son and a daughter.”

Just then, Kaelen and Lyren peeked around the divider. Kaelen frowned. “Is—everything okay in here?”

Welyvyne lifted a hand without looking back. “Yes,” she said, her tone soft but firm. She turned her attention back to Eric. “I’m no expert on human lives, but… aren’t you a bit young to have children?”

Eric winced. “I’m not young,” he said quietly. “Something happened when I was brought here. I woke up in a younger body. Back home, I’m fifty. I’m not this.” He gestured vaguely to himself.

Welyvyne’s voice dropped to a near whisper. “So all your humor, all that constant running around… was it just you trying to bury how you feel?”

Eric lowered his head, his voice almost breaking. “Yes. If I stayed busy—and pretended—it made the days easier to get through.”

Eric drew in a slow breath and continued, his voice steadier now. “I want to build a way back… or a way to bring my family here. That’s why I decided to learn—everything I can, as fast as I can.”

Lyren stared at Eric, her expression unreadable. When she finally spoke, her voice was gentle but firm.

“That’s a large goal, Eric. I’m sorry for what happened to you… but you know what we’ve seen—what happened with Keith. You could just as easily tear them apart trying to bring them here.”

Eric’s frown deepened, a spark of defiance flickering behind his eyes. “I have to find some way,” he said quietly. “There has to be a reason you could summon people from other worlds freely enough to enslave them—so why now does everyone act like it’s impossible?”

Kaelen spoke up this time, his voice quieter than usual. “No one really knows what changed,” he said. “But after the cataclysmic event he caused, summoning people hasn’t gone well. Some make the journey perfectly fine…” He paused, his expression darkening. “But others—” he hesitated, “—they come through wrong. Turned inside out.”

Eric smiled faintly. “Then maybe there’s a way to fix it,” he said. “If I can’t, I’ll move on. But if I don’t even try… how could I ever look at myself in the mirror?”

Welyvyne frowned, concern flickering across her face. “You know you’re talking about something that could take a kingdom’s wealth to accomplish,” she said quietly. “I’ll help if I can… but it’s going to be a long journey for you.”

She hesitated, then added softly, “I’d never tell you not to try, though.”

Kaelen nodded, a small grin tugging at his mouth. “I’ll help where I can too. I’ve got no idea where to even start, but… I’d be happy to try.”

Lyren frowned, though her voice was gentle. “I won’t say no, Eric. Of course I’m with you.”

Lyren chuckled, the corner of her mouth lifting. “Besides,” she said, “if you actually pull it off, we’ll all be sitting on a kingdom’s worth of wealth.”

Eric laughed. “I’ll need a kingdom’s worth of wealth just to put up with all of you for that long.”

Eric turned to Welyvyne and Lyren, a hint of mischief slipping into his voice. “Well,” he said, “since we’re all just sitting around today, maybe we could get to Lyren’s anatomy—and your understanding of air.”

Lyren’s grin spread like a cat who’d just found a new toy. “My anatomy, huh?” she purred.